IT may have taken a lot of extra effort, but East Victoria Park couple Eugenie and Helmuth Stockman believe their vision of creating a sustainable home will be worth it.
The couple joined forces with friends Mark and Alana Dowley on a building project in Lathlain, which will create homes for the couples as well as two units, which they will rent or sell.
Mrs Stockman said the current requirement was for five or six-star energy-rated residences but the four homes in their project would have eight, nine and 10-star energy ratings.
She said the idea had been brewing with the couple for some time.
“We were looking for something different and a more sustainable way to live,” Mrs Stockman said.
The Stockmans’ house will be made of straw bales and the Dowleys’ of reverse brick veneer, with the bricks on the inside and polystyrene on the outside.
The materials will help reduce the need for heating and cooling. Other features include a grey water system, which will use household water on the shared gardens, solar power and garden space to grow vegetables.
Even the location of the block where construction is now under way was taken into account; it is just 400 metres from a train station, so occupants can make the most of public transport.
Mrs Stockman said many of the development’s features, such as a joint water tank for two properties, had been difficult to get approval for.
She believed health and building regulations made it difficult for people to build sustainable homes.
“I can very much understand that most developers would say ‘too hard’.
“I’d really like the Government to put incentives in place for people to do this (build sustainably), especially when it comes to developers who look at up-front costs and making the most return, not the comfort or long-term costs associated with a house.”
The initial cost of the project has been higher than similar-sized properties without sustainable features, but Mrs Stockman said there would be long-term savings.
“The operating costs such as water and electricity will be a lot less,” she said.
Mrs Stockman encouraged others to take steps to live more sustainably.
“There’s a lot of simple things you can do,” she said.
The couples hope to move into their homes before Christmas this year. For more information visit thegreenswing.net.